Tripura Police to Roll Out New Strategy Against Drug Traffickers, Crime Rate Drops to 20-Year Low:DGP

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, January 8, 2026

Tripura Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Dhankar, IAS on Thursday announced that the state police will soon roll out a new, focused strategy to identify and arrest the real masterminds behind the drug trade. Addressing a press conference at the Police Headquarters on the eve of the New Year, the DGP said the initiative follows Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha’s clear directive to adopt a zero-tolerance policy against drug trafficking.

“The Hon’ble Chief Minister has instructed the police to show zero tolerance in curbing the drug menace. The Tripura Police will strictly follow this direction and work with renewed strategy to reach the actual drug kingpins,” the DGP said.

Alongside the tough stand on narcotics, the DGP highlighted a major improvement in the overall law and order situation in the state. According to official data, Tripura recorded an 8.3 per cent decline in the annual crime rate in 2025, touching the lowest level in the last two decades.

A total of 3,698 criminal cases were reported in 2025, compared to 4,033 cases in 2024. Property-related crimes, including dacoity, robbery, burglary and theft, declined by 16.04 per cent, with 293 cases registered in 2025 against 349 cases in the previous year.

Serious crimes also showed a downward trend. Murder cases dropped by 18.10 per cent, with 95 cases in 2025 compared to 116 in 2024. Incidents of hurt and assault, considered a key indicator of law and order, fell by 14.23 per cent, from 815 cases in 2024 to 699 cases this year. Rioting-related cases declined sharply by 26 per cent, with 17 cases reported in 2025 against 23 cases last year.

Crimes against women also witnessed a decline of 8.14 per cent, with 665 cases reported in 2025, down from 724 cases in 2024, the DGP said.

The police chief also underlined significant gains in road safety. Due to intensified awareness campaigns and stricter enforcement, road traffic accidents declined by 8.82 per cent. A total of 520 road accidents were reported in 2025, compared to 575 in 2024. Road accident fatalities dropped by 14.55 per cent, from 213 deaths last year to 182 this year.

However, the DGP expressed concern that nearly 67 per cent of road accident deaths involved people in the 18–45 age group, terming it a serious social and economic issue. The number of injured persons also declined marginally from 622 to 606.

Comparing national figures, Anurag Dhankar said road accidents per lakh population in Tripura stood at 12.5 in 2025, significantly lower than the national average of 34.6. This improvement came despite an eight per cent increase in registered vehicles in the state.

On the narcotics front, enforcement under the NDPS Act increased by 11 per cent in 2025. The value of seized and destroyed contraband rose sharply from Rs 849 crore in 2024 to Rs 1,636 crore in 2025, reflecting intensified action against drug networks.

The DGP described 2025 as one of the best-performing years for policing in Tripura over the past two decades and reiterated that the police force will continue to work with greater vigilance, especially against drugs, to maintain peace and safety across the state.

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